Netflix

Netflix Online DVD Rental Review

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Free trial and free streaming movies make Netflix our top choice
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NetFlix invented the online movie rental business in 1999 and has been a leader ever since. With over 85,000 titles and 41 distribution centers throughout the U.S., they offer more movies than anyone else. They claim to reach more than 90% of their members with generally one business day delivery (our research has found that members usually do get their DVDs within one day and almost always within two). NetFlix offers a variety of useful tools on their website, including free online movie trailers, critics' reviews, user reviews, friends' reviews, and a recommendation engine. Subscribers can also stream over 12,000 movies and TV episodes directly to a PC or Mac, or to a television through any of several Netflix ready devices, including an Xbox 360 or TiVo DVR. The service only allows you to stream movies, not to download them permanently. The cheapest plan limits online streaming to two hours per month, but all other plans offer unlimited streaming. Netflix also does a great job with customer service, offering an automated self-help system as well as email and phone support if you have any problems.

NetFlix offers an array of plans to choose from, all following the NetFlix-pioneered model of keeping each DVD as long as you like and getting a new one shipped to you when you send one back to them. This enables them to offer free shipping and no late fees so you'll never pay more than your monthly subscription cost. All plans charge a monthly fee and vary by the number of DVDs you can have out at one time and the maximum number of DVDs you can rent per month. All plans come with a two week free trial for new NetFlix customers and you can cancel any time so it's a no risk proposition. The plans are:

$4.99/mo. for one DVD at a time, with a two per month limit
$8.99/mo. for one DVD at a time, with no monthly limit
$13.99/mo. for two DVDs at a time, with no monthly limit
$16.99/mo. for three DVDs at a time, with no monthly limit

NetFlix's sole focus is on movies, and they are the best at online movie delivery. However, if you want to also rent games with the same service, you should go with someone else such as DVD Avenue that rents both. NetFlix is also not for you if you want to rent adult DVDs as they have stayed out of that part of the business. Additionally, NetFlix cannot match Blockbuster's ability to offer in-store movie exchange and free in-store rental coupons as part of their service. If you are not interested in games or adult movies and prefer to receive DVDs solely through the mail, NetFlix is the best choice you will find.

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Service Details:

Free Trial: Two weeks
Monthly Price: $4.99-$16.99/mo
Delivery Speed: One or two days for DVDs, instant for online streaming
Late Fees: None
Shipping Fees: None
Customer Service: Email & phone

NextAdvisor Online DVD Rental Blog Headlines

Consumers still prefer DVDs over streaming video
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The best con movies
We spend a lot of time on this blog talking about identity theft and other scams. While it's unfortunate that there are people who spend their lives thinking of ways to take our money, there's also something fascinating about these stories. Con games have made great subjects for movies, and it's possible that they even [...]

Blockbuster deliberately withholding online rentals, or just a glitch?
Last week, Consumerist reported on delays in Blockbuster's online rental service. A reader wrote in to explain that after returning DVDs to the store, they remained on his online queue for at least two days, which meant that new DVDs were not being mailed out as quickly as they should be. Shipping delays reduce the [...]

Netflix teams up with TiVo to stream movies
Netflix has added TiVo to the growing list of devices that subscribers can use to stream movies and television shows from Netflix to their televisions. Starting in December, Netflix subscribers who also have TiVo Series3, TiVo HD or TiVo HD XL will be able to stream over 12,000 different movies and TV episodes to their [...]

Netflix teams up with Starz to provide more streaming content
The Official Netflix Blog announced yesterday that, thanks to an agreement with Starz Play, Netflix will now be making roughly 1,000 new movies and television shows available on demand. If you have a PC and a Netflix subscription, you can watch these movies online instantly. You can also watch streaming Netflix movies on your television [...]

Netflix shipments are back on track
After a three day shipping delay last week, Netflix is shipping DVDs at their normal pace once again. Any backlogged shipments should have been sent out on Friday. All customers whose shipments were delayed will receive a 15% discount on their next bill, and any new customers who were using the service on a free [...]

Netflix profiles feature will not be discontinued after all
In mid-June, Netflix announced plans to eliminate a feature which allows multiple users within a single account to maintain separate profiles and movie queues. Disappointed customers responded by urging Netflix to reconsider this decision, and it has. A post on the Netflix Community Blog recently announced that the complaints from customers have persuaded Netflix [...]

The Internet can save you gas money!
On Earth Day, we posted some tips for living a more eco-friendly lifestyle with the help of online services. One suggestion was to attend an online college or university, since it reduces the environmental impact of getting an education. ABC recently ran a story informing viewers that online classes are gaining in popularity as a [...]

Netflix streaming set top box review
Netflix announced the launch of a new streaming video player that will allow subscribers to view over 10,000 movies and televisions shows on demand over the Internet. The set top box is powered by Roku and will retail for about $99 when it is released later this year. Since we have yet to test the [...]

Netflix continues to innovate, explores movie streaming over Xbox Live
Online DVD rental company, Netflix, has begun surveying subscribers to determine their interest in being able to stream movies over Microsoft's Xbox Live service. In theory, such a service would allow Xbox 360 users to stream movies from Netflix's title library through a broadband Intternet connection. Netflix is not releasing the results of the survey [...]


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